A Saturday afternoon in an audiophile heaven in Hong Kong

CKKeung

Well-Known Member
Jun 17, 2011
3,053
3,172
1,410
Hong Kong
Some WBF members had asked me in pm previously : how come you have listened to and compared so many diff brands/models of audiophile products?

I always answer by saying that Hong Kong is a compact city and audiophiles can have frequent gatherings easily.
Also there are so many dealers/retailers and used hifi shops to visit in HK.

Give WBF members an example : I spent yesterday a Sat afternoon listening to and comparing hi-end products in one of the big hifi dealer & used hifi shops in HK.
The shop occupies several units in a commercial building in the Mongkok area of HK.

This is their biggest listening room for hi-end products :
20201128_152222~2.jpg
20201128_153942~2.jpg

This is one of the smaller listening rooms of theirs :
20201128_155224~2.jpg

This unit houses their used component shop section :
20201128_161120~2.jpg

A disclaimer : I am not in the audio/music industry and not paid by this hifi dealer.
I am only one of their usual customers.

More info of them can be found here if you have interest of visiting them after the COVID Pandemic has ended :
 
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CKKeung

Well-Known Member
Jun 17, 2011
3,053
3,172
1,410
Hong Kong
So what did I specfically do yesterday afternoon?
I went there and listened to this fabulous set of digital combo :

20201128_152828~2.jpg
20201128_152816~2.jpg
20201128_152737~2.jpg
20201128_152645~2.jpg

The amps and speakers used for the audition were :

20201128_152245~2.jpg

A Sat afternoon very very well spent!
Extremely satisfied!

Do you agree with me that Hong Kong is an audiophile heaven?
:D
 

Sablon Audio

Industry Expert, VIP Donor
May 22, 2015
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I would agree that HK is indeed an audiophile heaven, though the Adelphi Centre in Singapore also deserves an honourable mention. The reasons behind this are a combination of consumer behaviour and tax policy.

Few other places in the world have zero sales tax and a top rate of income tax of just 17% which gives consumers greater purchasing power. Earn 100, receive 83 and buy 83. Here in EU, @50% top rate income tax and 20% VAT, hence earn 100, receive 50 and buy 42 of goods.

Sellers in turn have a more dynamic and motivated customer base to drive sales volumes and are able to discount more since they are taxed less on their income.

Win, win for consumers.
 

Carlos269

Well-Known Member
Mar 21, 2012
1,438
1,147
1,215
So what did I specfically do yesterday afternoon?
I went there and listened to this fabulous set of digital combo :

View attachment 71947
View attachment 71948
View attachment 71949
View attachment 71950

The amps and speakers used for the audition were :

View attachment 71951

A Sat afternoon very very well spent!
Extremely satisfied!

Do you agree with me that Hong Kong is an audiophile heaven?
:D
Have you listened to the Orpheus Labs Heritage Ultimate Power Amplifiers? Any listening impressions compared to the other amplifiers there, with the same source and through the same speakers?
 
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howiebrou

Well-Known Member
Jun 29, 2012
2,789
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Have you listened to the Orpheus Labs Heritage Ultimate Power Amplifiers? Any listening impressions compared to the other amplifiers there, with the same source and through the same speakers?
I used to own them. Liked them a lot but ultimately I still gravitate towards a tube sound a bit more. They are warmer than your typical SS amp which is why I bought them in the first place. The Orpheus line is worth a listen, certainly.
 

howiebrou

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Jun 29, 2012
2,789
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I would agree that HK is indeed an audiophile heaven, though the Adelphi Centre in Singapore also deserves an honourable mention. The reasons behind this are a combination of consumer behaviour and tax policy.

Few other places in the world have zero sales tax and a top rate of income tax of just 17% which gives consumers greater purchasing power. Earn 100, receive 83 and buy 83. Here in EU, @50% top rate income tax and 20% VAT, hence earn 100, receive 50 and buy 42 of goods.

Sellers in turn have a more dynamic and motivated customer base to drive sales volumes and are able to discount more since they are taxed less on their income.

Win, win for consumers.
Time you set up shop here then Mark...
 

gian60

Well-Known Member
Apr 17, 2016
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Incredible!
In Italy in the best shop you can find in one shop L1 and M1,1,no one shop can find P1 or X1
In other shop MC intosh 2600 and 1.25
In other ARC ref 6 and stereo amp and Dartzeel 8550
In other Thrax integrated

Poor Italy
 

Zero000

Well-Known Member
Jul 28, 2014
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The Hong Kong Hi-Fi Show is nearly as good as Munich I thought.

Here's my coverage from 2008 LOL. The first time I did Munich was 2011.

 
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CKKeung

Well-Known Member
Jun 17, 2011
3,053
3,172
1,410
Hong Kong
The Hong Kong Hi-Fi Show is nearly as good as Munich I thought.

Here's my coverage from 2008 LOL. The first time I did Munich was 2011.

You still have the 2008 Show sacd?
:D

2006__2008_av_show_sacd_1603362203_27d9d6bf_progressive~2.jpg
unnamed~3.jpg
 

ashandger

Well-Known Member
Jun 14, 2013
406
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348
So what did I specfically do yesterday afternoon?
I went there and listened to this fabulous set of digital combo :

View attachment 71947
View attachment 71948
View attachment 71949
View attachment 71950

The amps and speakers used for the audition were :

View attachment 71951

A Sat afternoon very very well spent!
Extremely satisfied!

Do you agree with me that Hong Kong is an audiophile heaven?
:D

Are you in a position to your share your general impressions from the listening session? Fully appreciate that these brief listening sessions are not conclusive. HK does seem to have an incredible selection of products available in a relatively small area.
 

Bobvin

VIP/Donor
Jun 7, 2014
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Portland
www.purewatersystems.com
I would agree that HK is indeed an audiophile heaven, though the Adelphi Centre in Singapore also deserves an honourable mention. The reasons behind this are a combination of consumer behaviour and tax policy.

Few other places in the world have zero sales tax and a top rate of income tax of just 17% which gives consumers greater purchasing power. Earn 100, receive 83 and buy 83. Here in EU, @50% top rate income tax and 20% VAT, hence earn 100, receive 50 and buy 42 of goods.

Sellers in turn have a more dynamic and motivated customer base to drive sales volumes and are able to discount more since they are taxed less on their income.

Win, win for consumers.
Funny how leaving the $$ in the hands of the person who earned it flows to the whole economy allowing everyone to prosper, vs having the bureaucrats take and spread it around in the most inefficient (and corrupt) ways. (End of political comment — not wanting the censors to down on me!)
 

astrotoy

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May 24, 2010
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Economics in Hong Kong is not quite as simple as it appears. For most people, the two most expensive expenses are housing and automobiles. In Hong Kong, the housing costs are the highest in the world, up to double the cost of LA or NYC, the highest cost places in the US. You can get a sense of the cost of commercial space by looking at the pictures in the posts and how densely packed the rooms are. You seldom see anything like the spacious listening rooms in many hi end audio salons in the US. Similarly new cars are taxed at a progressive rate up to 115% for a luxury car. In addition the annual license fees are very high.

For many years we regularly visited my wife's parents (now deceased) and sister (and her family) who both owned flats in the mid-levels of Hong Kong Island. Her sister is still there and we get a pretty good sense of what is going on in Hong Kong from their perspectives.

Larry
 

howiebrou

Well-Known Member
Jun 29, 2012
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Economics in Hong Kong is not quite as simple as it appears. For most people, the two most expensive expenses are housing and automobiles. In Hong Kong, the housing costs are the highest in the world, up to double the cost of LA or NYC, the highest cost places in the US. You can get a sense of the cost of commercial space by looking at the pictures in the posts and how densely packed the rooms are. You seldom see anything like the spacious listening rooms in many hi end audio salons in the US. Similarly new cars are taxed at a progressive rate up to 115% for a luxury car. In addition the annual license fees are very high.

For many years we regularly visited my wife's parents (now deceased) and sister (and her family) who both owned flats in the mid-levels of Hong Kong Island. Her sister is still there and we get a pretty good sense of what is going on in Hong Kong from their perspectives.

Larry
True, there's always pros and cons when you look closely. However, if you are lucky enough to own a property, and since most people don't drive (i.e. own a car), the 15-17% tax and no sales tax is very useful. Having almost every hi end brand within a 15 minute drive is quite nice to have!
 
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Nevillekapadia

VIP/Donor
Aug 30, 2010
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Having been around to Adelphi and Mongkok, I found Seoul right up there and may be the best in what they offered. There is one building which houses most of the used and new dealers. The vintage gear also was terrific.
 

CKKeung

Well-Known Member
Jun 17, 2011
3,053
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Hong Kong
Having been around to Adelphi and Mongkok, I found Seoul right up there and may be the best in what they offered. There is one building which houses most of the used and new dealers. The vintage gear also was terrific.
Good info!
Do they welcome overseas visitors?
Please share the address with WBF members.
Manu thanks!
 

QuadDiffuser

VIP/Donor
Apr 2, 2017
373
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Hong Kong
So what did I specfically do yesterday afternoon?
I went there and listened to this fabulous set of digital combo :

View attachment 71947
View attachment 71948
View attachment 71949
View attachment 71950

The amps and speakers used for the audition were :

View attachment 71951

A Sat afternoon very very well spent!
Extremely satisfied!

Do you agree with me that Hong Kong is an audiophile heaven?
:D
How were the room acoustics in their flagship showroom? Were you able to discern a deep, wide, layered and unconstrained pin-point imaging of instruments and voices in the soundstage?
 

Ultrafast69

VIP/Donor
Aug 27, 2018
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No doubt lots of gear in Hong Kong, thanks for sharing!

I did not realize the massive size of the WADAX Atlantis Reference.
 

CKKeung

Well-Known Member
Jun 17, 2011
3,053
3,172
1,410
Hong Kong
Part 1 of the adventure of Richard Austren in the audiophile heavean of HK :
:D :D
 

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